Did you know? Short fact-based information about the Philippines
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The Philippines are a presidential republic based on the American model. The president is simultaneously head of state, head of government and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. This clear separation of powers was enshrined in the 1987 Constitution.
A Philippine president may serve only a single six-year term. Direct re-election is expressly excluded. This is intended to prevent individual politicians from remaining in power permanently.
The president and vice president are elected independently of one another in the Philippines. It is therefore common for the two to belong to different parties. This electoral system is relatively unusual worldwide.
The Philippine Congress consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. While all 24 senators are elected nationwide, members of the House represent individual constituencies or party lists. In some respects, this system resembles that of the US Congress.
The Philippines today consist of 82 provinces. By comparison, Germany has 16 federal states. The provinces are in turn divided into cities, municipalities and thousands of barangays.
The smallest administrative unit is called a barangay. With around 42,000 barangays, there are almost twice as many of them as municipalities in all of Germany. Many comprise only a few streets or a single village.
Quezon City was the capital of the Philippines for almost three decades. It was not until 1976 that Manila again became the official seat of government. Nevertheless, Quezon City is now the country's most populous city.
The Bangsamoro region in the south of the Philippines received far-reaching self-government rights in 2019. This was preceded by decades of peace negotiations between the government and Muslim rebel groups. The aim was to permanently end one of the country's longest conflicts.
Filipino women received the right to vote as early as 1937. The prerequisite was a nationwide referendum in which at least 300,000 women had to vote in favour. This target was clearly exceeded.
Around one fifth of the seats in the House of Representatives are reserved for so-called party lists. This gives workers, Indigenous peoples, women, senior citizens and other social groups a voice in parliament. The model is relatively rare internationally.
The Philippine national flag is almost unique in the world. In peacetime, the blue stripe flies on top—in the event of war, the flag is simply turned over and the red stripe is placed on top. The flag thus immediately reveals whether the country is officially at war.
The three stars on the Philippine flag stand for Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. The eight rays of the sun recall the first provinces that rose against Spanish colonial rule in 1896. Almost every element of the flag thus tells a piece of the country's history.
The national anthem 'Lupang Hinirang' was originally a purely musical piece without words. Only later did it receive the lyrics known today. It remains one of the most important symbols of Philippine independence.
Imelda Marcos became known worldwide for her enormous shoe collection. After the family fled in 1986, staff found thousands of pairs of shoes in the presidential palace, some of which are now displayed in a museum. They are still regarded as a symbol of the Marcos family's luxurious lifestyle.
The Philippine 100,000-peso commemorative banknote is regarded as the largest officially issued banknote in the world. At around 36 × 22 centimetres, it is almost as large as an A4 sheet of paper. It was issued in 1998 for the 100th anniversary of independence and was never intended for ordinary payment transactions.
The currency of the Philippines is the peso, subdivided into 100 centavos. The currency symbol ₱ was introduced specifically for the Philippine peso and distinguishes it from the dollar or euro symbol. The money is issued by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
The Supreme Court of the Philippines consists of 15 justices. It can declare laws or government decisions unconstitutional and therefore plays a similar role to Germany's Federal Constitutional Court or the Supreme Court in the United States.
Anyone who wants to become president of the Philippines must be at least 40 years old. This age limit is intended to ensure that candidates have already gained sufficient political and professional experience.
Elections are held in the Philippines every three years. While presidents are elected only every six years, the Senate, House of Representatives and many regional offices are up for election again at the halfway point. As a result, the country is almost permanently in election-campaign mode.
Emilio Aguinaldo became president at the age of just 29 and remains the Philippines' youngest president to this day. Many heads of government in other countries were significantly older when they took office. His political career began when he was mayor.
At 71, Rodrigo Duterte was the oldest elected president of the Philippines. At the same time, he was the first president from Mindanao. His election was therefore regarded as a political turning point for the country's long-neglected south.
Fidel Ramos was the first and, to date, only Protestant president of the predominantly Catholic Philippines. During his term, the country experienced a phase of economic reforms and political development. Religious affiliation played a surprisingly small role in his election.
Ferdinand Marcos was president of the Philippines for more than 20 years in total. Much of this period fell under martial law, which continues to shape the country politically to this day. No other president remained in power for so long.
The tallest Philippine president was Ramon Magsaysay at around 1.80 metres, and the shortest was Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at around 1.50 metres. There is an almost 30-centimetre difference in height between them. This makes their physical difference almost as pronounced as that between adults and teenagers.
When the Marcos family fled the presidential palace in 1986, an astonishing amount of luxury was left behind. Imelda Marcos alone left 1,060 pairs of shoes, 508 dresses and around 1,000 handbags there. The collection became a worldwide symbol of the regime's lavish lifestyle.
The Nacionalista Party was founded as early as 1907 and is the Philippines' oldest political party still in existence. Over many decades, it produced several presidents and decisively shaped the country's politics.
Since 2010, elections in the Philippines have been counted entirely electronically. This made the country a pioneer of automated electoral systems in Asia. The aim was to reduce electoral fraud and protracted counts.
About ten million Filipinos abroad have been allowed to participate in national elections since 2004. They can cast their votes at embassies or by postal vote, among other ways. Hardly any other country involves its citizens abroad in elections to this extent.
Philippine senators may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms, and representatives a maximum of three. This limitation is intended to prevent individual politicians from permanently entrenching themselves in power. Similar rules apply to many other political offices.
Every barangay has an elected youth council, the 'Sangguniang Kabataan'. This allows young people to take on political responsibility at an early age. This model is rather unusual worldwide in this form.
The Sandiganbayan is a special court devoted exclusively to corruption cases against public officials. It hears proceedings against senior politicians and civil servants. Few countries have a separate court with this focus.
The Philippine Ombudsman is an independent anti-corruption body. It can investigate even senior members of government and the president. Few countries grant an institution of this kind comparable powers.
Political families have shaped the Philippines for generations. In many provinces, members of the same families take turns in different offices. Political dynasties therefore remain among the country's most discussed topics today.
Election days are public holidays by law in the Philippines. Many people travel back to their home towns to cast their votes. Around polling stations, the atmosphere often resembles a public festival rather than an ordinary election day.
After President Manuel Quezon's death, Sergio Osmeña assumed the presidency in exile in 1944. His government later returned to the Philippines together with Allied forces. He played an important role in rebuilding the country after the Japanese occupation.
President Elpidio Quirino is regarded as a pioneer of Philippine social legislation. During his term of office, numerous programmes for healthcare, education and social security were established. Many of these reforms continued to have an effect for decades.
With his 'Filipino First' policy, Carlos P. Garcia sought to strengthen domestic companies vis-à-vis foreign investors. The strategy shaped the country's economic policy for many years. It remains controversial today.
President Diosdado Macapagal introduced major land reforms and moved Independence Day from 4 July to 12 June. This placed the country's own declaration of independence of 1898 more prominently at the centre of national remembrance.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was not only the Philippines' second female president. She is also the daughter of former President Diosdado Macapagal. This makes her part of one of the country's best-known political family dynasties.
Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III was the first unmarried president of the Philippines. At the same time, he was the son of two national icons: Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino Jr. and Corazon Aquino. Hardly any other president was so closely connected with the country's democracy movement.
National Heroes' Day is observed every year on the last Monday in August. Unlike many holidays, it does not commemorate a single person, but all the people who campaigned for the freedom and independence of the Philippines.